


Endings

by WeShadows



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, I wrote this in the middle of the night, I'm not sorry, Whitestone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 17:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5342711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeShadows/pseuds/WeShadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Vox Machina, things never go as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Endings

Vex's arm trembled with the effort of keeping her bow drawn but her aim remained steady. The arrow aimed at his head did nothing more to shake Silas Briarwood any more than any of her previous arrows. If anything the arm he had locked around Vax's neck tightened further, restricting his already shallow breathing as he hung limp and still in the vampire's grip. Keyleth made a small distressed sound near Vex's side as Percy stepped forward into her vision. She could hardly see him through the thick, trailing smoke that surrounded him, but she could see that the Pepperbox was raised and aimed at Silas's head.

“Let him go, Silas!” He barely even sounded like Percy anymore, there was an unnatural reverberation in his voice, it sounded almost like a second voice was layered over the Percy that she knew. A deep, cruel voice that made her blood run cold.

Silas chuckled, low and mocking. “Whyever would I do that? He shows such promise.” Vex loosed her arrow and Silas twisted his head out of the way, before Vex could put another arrow to the bow Delilah cast a spell that Vex was only just able to dodge. Keyleth screamed and shots from the Pepperbox rang out, and by the time Vex turned back to Silas his fangs were already sunken deep into Vax'ildan's throat. Vex screamed and shot at him again, the first arrow flew wild and the second was knocked aside by Silas's hand as the last of the color drained from Vax's face. Grog and Scanlan were shouting and a knife flew by from Cassandra's direction but Vex lost track of them as Keyleth flung her hand toward the Vampire and the light of a sunbeam spell momentarily blinded her. Silas howled but the light vanished a moment later. Too soon. When Vex's vision cleared the first thing she saw was Lady Delilah Briarwood, her arm gracefully extended, pointing at Keyleth.

Keyleth, who lay on the ground as still and motionless as Vax, one hand still extended toward Silas. Then her fingers twitched and Vex had one moment of wild hope before realizing that her eyes were still blank and sightless as she climbed to her feet. Delilah beckoned and Keyleth shuffled forward. For a moment all was silent as the reality of what had just happened sank in. Then despite Grog's furious charge and Scanlan's desperate singing, Percy's gunshots and Vex's arrows, Delilah gestured and a door opened in the air behind the Briarwoods. Silas pulled Vax's lifeless body through, Keyleth followed, then all four were gone and the door closed before what remained of Vox Machina could reach it.

Percy bellowed with rage equal to Grog's and Scanlan cursed his inability to counter her spell but Vex just closed her eyes, focusing. Focusing. Seeking the center of her Hunter's Mark. “This way!” She began running, knowing that the others would follow. It hit her like a blow to the chest when she felt the Mark pass beyond her range to sense but she kept running toward the place where it had disappeared anyway, praying to Sarenrae, Pelor, any deity that would listen that she was wrong.

The trail ended in a small room containing nothing but what they immediately recognized as a teleportation circle. Vex fell to her knees as tears finally began to run down her cheeks. “We've lost them.”

She looked up at the others as the rage began to clear from Grog's eyes, leaving bewildered grief in its wake. The smoke still swirled around Percy as Scanlan asked the room in general, “What do we do now?”

“We go back to Emon.” Percy's voice was still not quite his own, but where before Vex might have tried to calm him down and pull him back, now she said nothing. “We have the letters, they hold the proof that Uriel requires. We warn Allura, and we write to Pike and Tiberius, and Seeker Assum if we can. They must want something of Uriel and Emon or they would not be building the bridge. They'll come back. We kill them then.”

“Fine.” Vex used Grog's arm to pull herself to her feet. “Lets go.”

 

Cassandra remained behind to lead the survivors in Whitestone as what was left of Vox Machina departed. It took them days to return to Emon, spent mostly on foot as they made their way to a place where they could be teleported back to Greyskull Keep. No one left in Whitestone had such ability. When they stepped out of Tiberius's laboratory that held their circle, they found the keep quiet. Almost alarmingly so. It was only when they were halfway across the foyer that anyone noticed that the door to their war room was standing open and two figures were sitting at the table. Behind them stood two more. The Briarwoods, Vax, and Keyleth. Keyleth was sallow and her eyes were empty, Vax was as pale as Silas. Vex had an arrow on the string the moment she realized who she was seeing, and beside her Percy had his Pepperbox raised.

“Now is that any way to treat a guest.” Silas raised a hand. “Vax'ildan, would you kindly?” Vax moved toward them with purpose and hatred in his eyes and Vex's hands trembled as around her Percy's gun fired and Grog's flaming warhammer flew through the air. It didn't matter anymore, she thought as her bow fell to the floor. They had already lost.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry not sorry.


End file.
